Charles Blé Goudé

Charles Blé Goudé (1 February 1972) is an Ivorian political leader, born at Guibéroua, in the centre west of the country. He is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity allegedly committed in Côte d'Ivoire during the presidency of Laurent Gbagbo.

Blé studied English at the University of Cocody (Cocody is a Commune of Abidjan), where he began his political career leading strikes and demonstrations of the Student Federation of Cote d'Ivoire (FESCI), allied with the FPI during the 1990s. He succeeded Guillaume Soro as the Secretary General of FESCI from 1998 to 2000. He later founded the Coordination des Jeunes Patriotes in 2001, and the Congrès Panafricain des Jeunes et des Patriotes (COJEP) in the same year. Blé had completed a university degree in English by this time, and later began a master's degree in Conflict Resolution Studies from Manchester University, which he never completed. Having received news of the rebellion on 19 September 2002, he left England for Côte d'Ivoire, where he founded the Alliance des Jeunes Patriotes pour le Sursaut National, which he directed with Serge Kuyo, an organization which he described as a pressure group. He is widely known and referred to as the "Street General" because of his capacity in igniting crowds.

Blé played a significant role in Ivoirian politics as a supporter of the ideas and policies of Laurent Gbagbo. He has organized protests and demonstrations in support of the former president and in protest against the rebellion in the north of Côte d'Ivoire. He has also lent his support to the police.

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